HISTORY: James Westbrook Pegler (1894-1969) originally a sports journalist, Pegler rose to prominence in the 1930´s as a controversial newspaper columnist with the Chicago Daily News and later the Washington Post. Westbrook Pegler published three collections of articles: The Dissenting Opinions of Mister Westbrook Pegler, T Ain´t Right and George Spelvin, American and Fireside Chats. In 1940 he received a Pulitzer Prize for journalism for a series of articles exposing trade union racketeering. This collection was purchased by the St. Louis Mercantile Library in 2001.

SCOPE: This collection contains letters and drawings written by Westbrook Pegler to Miss Helen Bisch, between the years 1915-1918, when Westbrook Pegler was beginning his career and attempting to court the young Miss Bisch. The early letters begin on the road between Dallas and Denver and then New York. Later letters are written from London where he was on staff with the United Press Service and attached to the American Expeditionary Forces.

HOLDINGS: 32 letters, 15 drawings and one book The Poems of Eugene Field.

ACCESS: Material in Special Collection M-247 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition and permission of the library director or assistant director.

Copies of the finding aid are available for download.

M-247 Pegler-Bisch Letters (.rtf)

M-247 Pegler-Bisch Letters (.pdf)